Poland injury worries playing on Smuda's mind

June 15, 2012|Patrick Graham | Reuters

WROCLAW (Reuters) - Franciszek Smuda will wait until as late as he can before naming his Poland side to face the Czech Republic in their final Euro 2012 Group A game on Saturday, with the coach hoping to name an unchanged side.

Midfielders Eugen Polanski, recovering from a bruised knee, and Dariusz Dudka, struggling with a recurring stomach muscle strain, both trained with the rest of the squad in Wroclaw's City Stadium on Friday.

But French-born center-half Damien Perquis warmed up gently away from the rest of the squad and then sat out further drills, suggesting coaches are still concerned blows to his shin and elbow may keep him out of the clash in the southern Polish city.

"If injuries did not disturb us, I would like to start with the same squad," Smuda told a news conference on Friday.

"But maybe the injuries will have an impact and we will have to make some changes. We have a number of question marks ... and we will only decide tomorrow who plays."

Speculation about Smuda's line-up for a game they must win to stay in the tournament has centered around whether he will stick with second choice keeper Przemyslaw Tyton or recall Wojciech Szczesny, available again after his one-match ban for being sent off against Greece.

The Poles have two points from two games. Russia top the group with four points, ahead of the Czech Republic with three and Greece with one point.

Smuda said he had been working to keep the team's feet on the ground after their bright comeback to draw against Russia left the Euro 2012 co-hosts brimming with optimism that they could advance to the quarter-finals for the first time.

Officials have upped security at the stadium and at the Polish team's hotel, where crowds gathered on Friday.

"We have not allowed euphoria, we have tried to cool things a bit and we have the same concentration that we had before the game with Russia," Smuda said.

"The pressure was strongest before the Greek game. We do not feel it as much after playing a very good game against Russia."

Asked how they can beat the Czechs, Smuda said: "We know that we have to play very good football and to fight from the first whistle to the last."